Household refuse such as trash, recycling items, and/or yard waste can typically be deposited in a container. Such containers can include a lid for concealing the household refuse collected therein, as well as to prevent wild animals or people from accessing the household refuse and also protecting the trash from the elements. Typically, the lid is removably coupled to the container in a friction-fit manner to allow the lid to be easily removed from the container. However, when the lid is not secured, the contents can be undesirably expelled from the container, such as if the container is toppled over such as by wind or animals.
Various lid locking devices have been implemented for refuse containers. For example, a strap can be coupled to the lid and the container in a snap lock fashion. However, this locking method requires a plurality of steps to secure the strap, and the strap can easily become separated from the container. Another exemplary locking device includes a metal coil coupled between the lid and the container to provide greater tension. However, the coil can deteriorate due to exposure to the elements.
Therefore a need exists for a locking device that improves upon prior locking devices and solves the problems inherent in known locking devices.